Still Willing To Torture

By Cernig

Here's why those who authorise and enable a culture in which torture or abuse are possible should bear more culpability than those "bad apples" who actually do the torturing and abuse.

Decades after a notorious experiment, scientists have found test subjects are still willing to inflict pain on others - if told to by an authority figure.

US researchers repeated the famous "Milgram test", with volunteers told to deliver electrical shocks to another volunteer - played by an actor.

Even after faked screams of pain, 70% were prepared to increase the voltage, the American Psychology study found.

Why? Dr Jerry Burger of Santa Clara University, who carried out the experiment, said:

"What we found is validation of the same argument - if you put people in certain situations, they will act in surprising and maybe often even disturbing ways."

And another scientist, Dr Abigail San, who also replicated the original experiment - this time for a forthcoming BBC documentary, says:

"It's not that these people are simply not good people any more - there is a massive social influence going on... There's no opportunity for them to say 'What's my moral stand on this?'"

Just following orders isn't a defense in law, however - and neither should be any of the Bush administrations various excuses for authorising torture in the first place or their arguments that prosecutions would harm the political process.

Comments

[Peter G.]

Since the Milgram experiment and any similar experiment is absolutely banned on ethical grounds (many participants of the original experiment suffered severe PTSD) I very much doubt that any such repeat took place. If it did the experimenters are probably looking at some pretty massive lawsuits aside from complete rejection by any professional bodies of which they might be members. One experiment along these lines was quite sufficient to prove the point.

[H.H.]

One of my students approached me several weeks ago saying that her friend had taken part in the experiment and was very upset - I contacted the BBC to ask if this was correct - this was the response they sent me:

Dear Dr H
Thanks for your e-mail.
I apologise for the subsequent delay in our reply. We know our correspondents appreciate a quick response, and it is a matter of regret to us that you have had to wait for so long on this occasion.
I understand you're concerned that one of your students may have been involved in the taping of a programme that may have violated ethical considerations. I note you'd like to know if this recording was carried out by the BBC.
We're unable to enter into such discussions with third parties. If the individual directly involved wishes to raise this issue we will be more than happy to investigate their complaint.
If a complaint is to be made by the individual, we require full details about the individual and as much information about the recording as they can possibly supply in order to answer the wider points.
Thanks once again for taking the time to contact the BBC.

Regards
Craig O'Connor
BBC Complaints

Obviously, they did not consider the matter to be serious, as they have just today published the news of the experiment on their website.

Obviously,